1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the art of oil spill containment and recovery systems, and more particularly concerns a self-contained or integrated oil spill containment and recovery system which is portable and allows any vessel, platform or other fluid spill source at a fluid spill site in water, the self-sufficient ability to rapidly deploy the system and efficiently contain and recover a spill, with greater controllability and enhanced effectiveness than prior spill containment and recovery systems.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In the event of an oil spill in a body of water, the oil disperses at a rate determined by the size of the leak, force of currents, wave size, and velocity of wind. The traditional method of spill response is to deploy "spill teams" from local or regional centers to effect containment and recovery. The proximity of the spill to the center, their vessels, equipment and manpower, plus their ability to rapidly mobilize and reach the spill site determines the spill's controllability. Generally, normal current, wave and wind conditions can disperse a spill far beyond containment and recovery in less than ninety minutes. The Congressional Office of Technology Assessment has reported a finding in 1990 that "it has been unusual for more than 10 to 15 percent of oil to be recovered from a large spill". Even with improved technology and response capability, the report predicts that less than half of a large spill will ever be recovered.
Current proposed new measures to deal with fluid spills include: double hulled tankers, increased numbers of spill response centers, and giant self-propelled ocean going skimmers. Of these, only the double hulled tanker offers some increased protection. It should be noted, however, that neither the recent Valdez nor the Huntington Beach accidents would have been prevented even if the hulls were doubled on their tankers.
A primary disadvantage of current methods and technology is their inability to rapidly and effectively contain and recover a spill before uncontrolled dispersal occurs, due to dependence upon response centers that must mobilize vessels, equipment and manpower, then journey to the spill site whereever it may be, contain the spill before uncontrolled dispersal occurs, and then recover the spilled oil before the effects of sunlight, water, temperature and turbulence create excessive difficulty for removal.
A secondary disadvantage is: the limitations of containment booms to effectively contain a spill in moderate sea conditions due to their required lightweight nature; the lack of skimming efficiency (ratio of fluid spilled to water collected) in moderate seas due to a skimmer's need to keep contact with the surface of the oil spill for undisturbed suction, and also the skimmer's need to operate in a thick build-up of spill fluid to insure high efficiency and rapid recovery.
A third disadvantage is the necessity for storing the recovered fluids. Since the skimming efficiency will be less in an uncontrolled environment such as a moderate sea, the oil to water ratio may be as low as 5% oil to 95% water. The storage facilities are overtaxed by water limiting useful storage of spill fluids collected, while the delay in time increases the spill's exposure to the environment and potentially adversely changes the fluid's composition and recoverability. In summary, current methods of spill response all but guarantee uncontrolled dispersal with potential environment disaster.